Acad Emerg Med. 2000 Jul; 7(7): 824-9.

Abortifacients: toxidromes, ancient to modern--a case series and review of the literature.

Netland KE, Martinez J.

Department of Internal Medicine, LSU School of Medicine, Medical Center of Louisiana, New Orleans 70112, USA. [email protected]

Between 1998 and 1999, four women presented to an emergency department after having attempted a nonmedical abortion. All four reported turning to pharmacologically induced abortion because their access to health care was limited by lack of insurance and resources. These cases serve as a reminder that self-induced abortion remains a significant health problem for women, a problem that emergency physicians as toxicologists should be aware of.